A brick wall should have been the greeting Graham Carey had when he cut in from the right wing on Saturday, not the welcome mat Paul Dixon laid out.

Grimsby Town manager Russell Slade had hoped his left-back would learn from the damage done by Plymouth Argyle’s right-winger the first time he ventured in off the flank.

Time and time again throughout the first half of Saturday’s FA Cup first round match Carey was ghosting past Dixon, and several of his team-mates for that matter, from the right and into the penalty box.

The Irishman was Argyle’s big threat and Slade had made that explicitly clear before the game. He offered up one, obvious solution after the match.

“He should have nailed him. I don’t want to apologise for that, but when he got tight he could have stopped him at source and that’s frustrating,” he said.

He added: “It’s frustrating for a manager or a management team when you flag things up.

Read More

“‘Make him go down the outside, get him on his right foot, don’t let him come inside, if he does come inside ensure you’re getting your block in because he’s going to let that left foot go, that’s what he’s about.’

“It’s just frustrating we don’t then deal with that situation.”

While Argyle sit bottom of League One and just 12 spots ahead of the Mariners in the EFL, Slade was not surprised with the quality the Pilgrims showed.

Russell Slade shakes hands with Derek Adams during the FA Cup first round match between Plymouth Argyle and Grimsby Town on Saturday, November 4, 2017 at Home Park (Image: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK)

He sees the merits of Argyle playing with the defensive set-up they currently have, especially as they try and claw their way away from relegation.

“I knew they’d been solid over the last four games. They’ve switched to a, without the ball, 4-1-4-1, with (Yann) Songo’o in front of the centre-halves giving them huge protection,” he said.

“That might be the way to dig themselves out. At least they stay in games, which we talk about, as managers.

“They have done that and it’s got them a few draws, it’s got them a very important win and if that gets them out of the situation they’re in then that’s the way they’ve got to be.

“They’ve got to be solid and resilient and today, when you set your team up, the best you can achieve is a clean sheet, and he’s (Derek Adams) done that.”

The Pilgrims dropped deeper in the final 20 minutes of the match. They invited pressure from the visitors, but held firm.

Carey proved the difference overall, but Slade did feel there was enough on show from Grimsby to earn a replay, especially with what he described as second-half domination.

Goal celebrations for Graham Carey during the FA Cup first round match between Plymouth Argyle and Grimsby Town on Saturday, November 4, 2017 at Home Park (Image: Dave Rowntree/PPAUK)

“He’s proved the difference on the day with that quality left foot he’s got, which is frustrating from my point of view because we flagged it up before the game, as most teams and opposing managers do,” he said.

“We started the game really well. That was their first, real opportunity in all fairness and that knocked us a little bit, but by the end of the half we were getting on top.

“Second half we unwound as the half went on and we were dominating larger periods of that second half.